The present invention relates in general to outdoor cooking units, and more particularly to an outdoor cooking unit with an upright support stand.
Heretofore, portable outdoor cooking units were supported by carts, tables, tripod arrangements and legs. Such portable outdoor cooking units that did not employ truncated pyramidal fireboxes and cooking chambers are considered to be fuel inefficient, difficult to clean, and difficult for the igniting of briquettes, requiring relatively long time spans for cooling and are cumbersome for relocating and storing.
The Weber Covered Barbeque Kettle has been sold by Weber-Stephen Products Co., which includes a bowl-shaped firebox supported by a tripod-leg arrangement. Positioned within the firebox is a fuel grate on which is disposed briquettes. Positioned within the firebox above the fuel grate is a cooking grill on which food is disposed for cooking. Several legs of the tripod-leg arrangement is supported by wheels and the remaining leg of the tripod-leg arrangement has a rubber or plastic foot. Attached to the bowl are wooden handles. By gripping a handle and tilting the cooking unit, the leg having a rubber foot is lifted from the supporting surface and the cooking unit is movably supported by the wheels. At the bottom of the firebox are dampers for controlling combustion air input to the firebox. Below the dampers at the bottom of the firebox is a pan for catching ashes fallen from the firebox. A bowl-shaped cover is adapted to seat on the bowl-shaped firebox to provide an enclosed cooking chamber. A wooden handle is attached to the cover to enable an operator to remove the cover or seat the cover on the firebox. Dampers are formed in the cover for controlling the venting of air from the cooking chamber into the atmosphere and also controlling the input of combustion air into the firebox.
Outdoor cooking units, particularly outdoor cooking units in which gas is used to ignite the briquettes, are supported by legs and have tables or trays extending from the firebox.
The Hait U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,238, issued on Nov. 25, 1986, for Device Interchangeable As An Outdoor Stove And A Table, discloses a stand for supporting a cooking unit above the ground. The stand is in the nature of a table with detachable legs. The cooking unit comprises a truncated pyramidal support member telescopically receiving an inverted truncated pyramidal firebox. The Hait U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,238, also discloses a hood to form a cooking chamber. A handle extends from the hood and the hood has a hinged top panel.
The Hait U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,551, issued on Dec. 5, 1989, for Outdoor Cooking Unit, discloses a bowl-shaped cooking unit supported by legs above the ground. A removable firebox is suspended within the bowl-shaped vessel. Seated on the firebox is a cooking grill and disposed in the firebox below the cooking grill is a fire grate.
In the Chambers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,403,842, issued on Jan. 17, 1922, for Camp Stove, there is disclosed a foldable camp stove supported by hinged legs. The Sivey U.S. Pat. No. 2,119,799, issued on June 7, 1938, for Collapsible Stove discloses a foldable stove supported by angle iron legs.
The Owens U.S. Pat. No. 2,237,081, issued on Apr. 1, 1941, for Cooker And Heater, discloses an outdoor cooking unit supportable close to the ground by feet or elevated above the ground by a foldable rack. The Leslie U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,698, issued on June 27, 1967, for Camp Cook Stove discloses a table with foldable legs for supporting burners for cooking.
In the Richins U.S. Pat. No. 3,489,131, issued on Jan. 13, 1970, for Collapsible Camp Stove, there is disclosed a firebox supported by a plurality of legs. The Giroux U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,051, issued on May 7, 1974, for Portable Barbeque Oven discloses a table for supporting a cooking unit with a firebox. The table is supported by foldable legs.
In the Hait U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,505, issued on July 30, 1985, for Convertible Cooking Unit With An Oven, there is disclosed a cooking unit with a truncated, pyramidal firebox with a hinged access door. An oven is disposed above the firebox. The Hait U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,202, issued on July 3, 1990, for Outdoor Cooking Unit With Disposable Component, discloses an outdoor cooking unit in which an inverted, truncated pyramidal firebox is supported in nested relation on a truncated pyramidal support. A bendable, disposable and non-combustible liner is disposed along the inner surfaces of the firebox and contoured to conform to the configuration of the interior of the firebox.
In the Hait U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,706, issued on Dec. 25, 1984, for Multi-Purpose Fuel Efficient Portable Stove/Heater, there is disclosed a truncated, pyramidal firebox formed with panels having trapezoidal configurations and supported by a stand. Tray-like panels extend from the top of the firebox. The tray-like panels are hinged to the cooking unit. The cooking chamber thereof includes a support frame at the top thereof.
The Noonan U.S. Pat. No. 522,483, issued on July 3, 1894, for Tent And Support, discloses a stove having a conical configuration. An annular flange supports the stove above the ground. The Alsobrook U.S. Pat. No. 1,285,193, issued on Aug. 13, 1918, for Water Heater discloses a conical stove supported by legs above the ground. The British Pat. No. to Hateley, No. 1372, issued on Jan. 28, 1916, for a Fire Bucket Or Stove discloses a firebox for a cooking unit which is supported above the ground by angularly disposed legs. Pyromid, Inc. of Redmond, Oregon, has manufactured and sold a portable cooking unit supported by angularly disposed legs.